Technical and Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation
and Sport

Areas For Growth

Technical and Skilled Occupations in Health

Technical Occupations related to Natural and Applied Sciences

Skilled Sales and Service Occupations

Health Professionals

Technical and Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation
and Sport

The University of Windsor and St. Clair College will have their core strengths and areas for future growth more formally defined after signing their Strategic Mandate Agreements recently with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

The three-year agreements signed by Ontario’s 44 post-secondary institutions are aimed at streamlining a system to better meet the needs of the modern economy and reduce duplication.

“It’s a very sensible approach if that’s the mission in the end,” said St. Clair College president Dr. John Strasser.

“We’re building on our strengths and expanding to meet new opportunities, but we don’t want everyone moving into the same area. That puts an unnecessary strain on the province’s resources.”

Between them, the two schools will focus on areas like technology, health and environmental sciences, engineering, law and skilled trades while hoping to expand further into the fields of border logistics, digital media, hospitality and cultural occupations.

University of Windsor president Alan Wildeman said aside from the goal of using the province’s financial resources better, the SMA exercise also was beneficial for the school.

“It’s helped us define better what the university is about and what we can build upon,” Wildeman said. “It’s been very positive for universities and colleges . . . to define what we do and who we are.”

Both presidents said they expect no program cuts related to signing the SMAs.

University of Windsor Areas of Strength

Business

Creative Arts and Media

Education in a Global Context

Engineering

Environment and Ecosystem Adaption and Recovery

Health and Wellness

Humanities

International Borders

Law

Physical and Chemical Sciences

Areas For Growth

Health and Wellness

Law, Education and Philosophy

Engineering, Science and Computing

Creative Arts and Digital Media

Business, Political Science and International Borders

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“There are always some changes that naturally occur where programs may be discontinued in the future, but it’s always been that way,” Wildeman said. “From what I know from my discussions with the government, the message has never been if a program is not identified as a priority we’ll stop funding it.”

Wildeman added he doesn’t think the SMAs will restrict schools from delving into new areas if they can make a case for the expansion.

With the government looking to get the most bang for its education dollars, both men agree the trend of joint ventures between universities and colleges will only increase.

One such example is the two schools have already committed to creating a Centre for Border Logistics to examine the issues in Canada’s most important trade relationships.

Under the new SMA, Strasser feels the college is well positioned moving forward.

“We have a number of announcements on manufacturing and cross-border issues coming before Christmas,” Strasser said. “We produce more health-related workers than any other college or university in Ontario.

“We’re expanding in the hospitality industries. We’re adding things in viticulture, because we anticipate a lot of growth locally in the hospitality sector.

“It’s all about jobs.”

Mobility between the college and university systems will be another area in which students benefit from more integration. The schools already co-operate in some areas like their nursing programs.

“Groups from the two schools already meet regularly, so I think you’ll see a continuation of exploring things the college and university can do together,” Wildeman said.

While the two presidents agree the province wants post-secondary institutions to produce graduates better equipped to engage in the economy, they differ on whether that means the government is going to blend the two systems even further.

Unlike Wildeman, Strasser feels the province is moving in that direction.

Over the next decade he expects a tripling of the 100 degrees community colleges can now grant. St. Clair will apply in the next 12 to 18 months to begin granting degrees in five programs and hopes to have nine by 2020.

Strasser added the next step is seeing if the SMAs have any impact on the way the province funds post-secondary education.

“Philosophically everyone has to understand it’s not university versus college,” Strasser said.

“Funding for the university sector is substantially more than for colleges. That has to change too.

“The government has to look at what they’re getting for their dollars and what Ontario is getting for that expenditure.

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Essex MP Jeff Watson confirmed Saturday that the federally-owned Paul Martin Building will be sold to the city for $1 and converted into a law school building for the University Windsor, as previously reported by The Windsor Star.